Telegraphic safety device.



No. 643,706. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

S. R. WRIGHT. TELEGBAPHIC SAFETY DEVICE.

(Application filed. Dec. 11, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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To all whom, it may concern:

NITED/ STATES PATENT TELEGRAPHIC SAFETY DEVICE.

$PECIFIOA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,706, dated February 20, 1900.

Application filed December 11, 1897- Scrial No. 661,584. (No model.)

Be it known that I, SELDEN R. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Morton, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraphic Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to telegraphic safety devices; and the object thereof is to give an alarm to any telegraph-operator when a telegraph-line is left open, whether by a break in the line or by the operator having left his key open or fromwliatever cause.

The invention embodies also mechanism whereby, when a telegraph-key is left open and the line-circuit is thereby broken, after a predetermined length of time the circuit will be closed independently of the key.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure l is an elevation of a mechanism embodying my invention, the key being shown in plan; and Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively sections of the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents an ordinary clock-movement having a spur-wheel a, which is constantly revolving.

A is the base of the apparatus.

B is an ordinary sounder inserted in the main-line circuit X X, as shown. C is a telegraph-key also inserted in said main-line c'ircuit. V

D is a suitable electromagnetic alarm-bell inserted in a local circuit Y Y, for which a battery Y is provided.

E is a spring-arm fastened to the base A and having an insulated portion 6.

E isa movable contact-arm.

Z Z is a local circuit connecting, in the form shown, the terminals of the key 0, one branch of which connects with the spring-arm E and the other branch of which connects with the movable contact arm E. may be connected with the line-wires XX at any points, so as to close the line-circuit independently of the key under the conditions to be described.

The clock is a motor that is actuated independently of the main and local circuits and is therefore not affected by changes or breaks of the currents in those circuits.

The sounder B is provided with an arm I) The circuit Z Z- in extension of the armature-bar b in order to exaggerate the movement of said armature-bar. Upon the base A and adjacent to the periphery of the spur-wheel at is a movable arm d, which is capable of universal movement. The arm dis normally pulled horizontally in one direction by a spring (1, which may, as shown, form part of the circuit Y, and the arm is pulled in opposition to the spring 61' by a cord a, which cord is attached to the end of the arm I) on the armature-bar of the sounder and is actuated by the sounderspring b The sounder-spring b must of course be stronger than the spring (1. The cord or connection Ct is of such length that upon each complete vibration of the armature of the sounder the arm at is drawn into and moved out from the teeth of the spurwheel a. Then the main line is open and the armature is raised from the electromagnets by its spring, the arm d is moved into an interdental space of the spur-wheel a, and when the main-line circuit closes and the armature of the sounder is drawn down upon the electromagnets the spring d pulls the arm at out from the teeth of the spur-wheel a. A contact device-such as the wire (1 interposed in the circuit Yis fastened upon the base A a little below the ordinary position of rest of the arm d, so that when the spur-wheel a turns in the direction shown by the arrow at a definite rate and the arm dis pulled into an inter-dental space of the wheel a and is held there after a predetermined length of time, dependent upon the rate of rotation of the wheel a, the arm d will make contact with the contact device (1 The contact de vice 61"", as shown in the drawings, is connected with one branch of the circuit Y, and therefore when the arm 01 makes contact with the device d as described above, the alarm bell D will ring. If, now, an operator leaves his key open, thus breaking the line-circuit and stopping telegraphing on the line, the armature-bar B immediately moves away from the electromagnet of the sounder B and the contact-arm dis pulled into an interdental space of the wheel a, and after a predetermined length of time the local circuit Y Y is closed and the bell rings, giving notice of the fact that the line is open. In ordinary telegraphing over the line the contact-arm d moves in and out of the interdental spaces of the spur-wheel (b so quickly or is retained in any space for so short a time that no contact is made between the arm (1 and the contact device (1 In order to adjust the period during which the line may remain open without sounding the alarm, the bar of the contact device (1'? is adjustably held by a set-screw (Z so as to be movable to and from the normal position of rest of the arm d. This alarm device forms one part of my invention, and the other part thereof is an automatic circuitclosiug device, which is used in combination with said alarm device. Upon the base A is fastened a spring contact device E, having a normal tendency to move in the direction shown by its arrow. This spring device has a portion thereof adjacent to its free end covered with an insulating material 6, such as hard rubber. Upon the base is a contactarm E, of spring material, which by the tension of its spring 6 normally tends to move its free end in the direction shown by its arrow, and said free end normally rests against the insulating-coating c of the wire E. The arm E is connected to the arm (1 byacord or connection a \Vhenever the arm (1 is drawn into an interdeutal space of the wheel a and is there held, the cord or connection (t pulls the wire E, with the arm d, longitudinally along the insulated portion 6 of the device E, and after a definite length of time, determined by the normal distance of the wire E from the end of the insulating-coating c and the rate of revolution of the wheel a, the wire E is pulled from the insulating-coating c, and by the action of the spring 6 and the spring action of the wire E a contact is made, which closes the circuits Z Z, and therefore closes the circuit X X, notwithstanding that the key 0 is open. When the circuit X X is closed, the armature of the sounder is again attracted and the arm (Z is released from the wheel (1, thus preventing, as one feature of the device, a stoppage of the clock. In order to vary and adjust the time during which the local circuit Z Z may remain open, I provide a slotted base for the contact device E and a setscrew 6 for holding the contact device in various positions relatively to the wire E and to the insulating-coating 6.

Of course a relay or other equivalent de vice may be used instead of the sounder 1?. (Shown in the drawings.)

lVhere devices embodying my invention are employed in the different oifices along a long telegraphic line, the alarm-bell in each office will ring whenever the circuit is broken for an undue length of time, whether by a break in the line outside the office or byan operator leaving or holding his key open. In the case of an open key the automatic circuit-closer closes the circuit again aftera selected interval of time.

It is obvious that the movable arm 61 and the contact device at constitute a circuit-closer in the local circuit Y Y, which is normallyinoperative, but is operative to close said circuit upon operation of the armature-arm of the electromagnetic device orsoundcrl) whenever the coustantlyoperating motor (the clock) for the movable arm (I is held in engagement with said arm (1 for a predetermined length of time. It is further obvious that the circuit Z Z is a secondary circuit and that the wires E and E constitute a circuit-closer in said circuit and that by reason of the wire E resting ordinarily on the insulating-coatingc this is normally inoperative, but is made operative by the connection a to close the secondary circuit upon operation of the arm (Z of the circuit-closer in the local circuit Y Y.

hat I claim is 1. The combination of a main-line circuit;

an electromagnetic device in said circuithaving an arm movable when said circuit is opened; a local circuit having an alarm device therein; a normally-inoperative circuitcloserin said local circuit adapted to be moved by said movable arm; a motor adapted to be connected with said circuit-closer and to move it in one direction, upon operation of said movable arm, to close said circuit; and a spring to move said circuit-closer in the opposite direction for disengaging and opening the same.

2. The combination of a main-line circuit; an electromagnetic device in said circuit having an arm movable when said circuit is opened; a local circuit having an alarm device therein; a normally-inoperative circuitcloser in said local circuit adapted to be moved by said movable arm; a motor adapted to be connected with said circuit-closer and to move it in one direction, upon operation of said movable arm, to close said circuit-closer; a spring to move said eircuit-closer in the opposite direction for disengaging and opening the same; a key in said main-line circuit; a secondary circuit connected with said mainline circuit; a second circuit-closer in said secondary circuit normally inoperative; and means for closing the second circuit-closer upon operation of the circuit-closerin the 10- cal circuit by said motor.

3. The combination of a main-line circuit; an electromagnetic device in said circuit having an arm moved in one direction when the said circuit opens; a local circuit having an alarm device therein; a normally-inoperative circuit-closer in said local circuit having a movable arm; means for moving the arm of said circuit-closer in a direction opposite to said movement of the arm of the electromagnetic device; a connection between the arm of the electromagnetic device and the arm of said circuit-closer; and a constantly-operating motor having means for engaging and moving the arm of the circuit-closer to close the local circuit upon movement of the arm of the electromagnetic device when the mainline circuit opens.

4. The combination of a main-line circuit; an electromagnetic device in said circuit having an arm moved in one direction when said circuit opens; a local circuit having an alarm device therein; a normally-inoperative circuit-closer in said local circuit having a movable arm; means for moving the arm of said circuit-closer in a direction opposite to said movement of the arm of the electromagnetic device; a connection between the arm of the electromagnetic device and the arm of said circuit-closer; a constantly-operating motor having means for engaging and moving the arm of the circuit-closer to close the local circuit upon movement of the arm of the electromagnetic device when the mainline circuit opens; a .key in said main-line circuit; a secondary circuit connected with said mainline circuit; a second circuit-closer in said secondary circuit normally inoperative, and means for closing the second circuit-closer upon operation of .the circuit-closer in the local circuit.

5. The combination of a main-line circuit; an electromagnetic device in said circuit having an arm movable when said circuit is opened; a local circuit having an alarm device therein; a normally-inoperative circuitcloser in said local circuit adapted to be moved by said movable arm; a motor adapted to be connected with said circuit-closer and to move it in one direction, upon operation of said movable arm, to close said circuit-closer; a spring to move said circuitcloser in the opposite direction for disengaging and opening the same; a key in said mainline circuit; a secondary circuit connected with said main-line circuit and when closed adapted to close said main-line circuit independently of the key; a second circuit-closer in said secondary circuit normally inoperative; and connections between the circuitcloser in the local circuit and the circuitcloser in the secondary circuit for closing the latter circuit-closer upon closing movement of the former circuit-closer.

6. The combination of a main-line circuit X X; an electromagnetic device, as a sounder or relay, in said main-line circuit; a local circuit Y Y having an alarm device therein; a circuit-closer in said local circuit normally held open; a clock device having a spurwheel, as a, adjacent to the movable part of said circuit-closer; and a connection from the armature of said electromagnetic device to the movable part of said circuit-closer and adapted, when the main-line circuit opens to move the movable part of said circuit-closer into an interdental space of said spur-wheel whereby said movable part is by the movement of said spur-wheel carried into contact with the stationary part of said circuit-closer.

7. The combination of a main-line circuit X X; an electromagnetic device, as a sounder or relay, in said main-line circuit; a local circuit Y Y having an alarm device therein; a circuit-closer in said local circuit normally held open; a clock device having a spurwheel, as a, adjacent to the movable part of said circuit-closer; a connection from the armature of said electromagnetic device to the movable part of said circuit-closer and adapted when the main-line circuit opens to move the movable part of said circuit-closer into an interdental space of said spur-wheel whereby said movable part is by the movement of said spur-wheel carried into contact with the stationary part of said circuit-closer; a key in said main-line circuit; a secondary circuit Z Z connected with said main-line circuit and adapted to close the same independently of the key; a circuit-closer in said secondary circuit, consisting of two parts, one of said parts being automatically movable; an insulating device upon one of said parts and normally breaking the circuit; and a connection from the movable part of thefirst-mentioned circuit-closer, to the movable part of the lastmentioned circuit-closer, for closing the circuit-closer in said secondarycircuit upon a closing operation of the circuit-closer in said local circuit.

8. The combination of a main-line circuit; an electromagnetic device in said circuit having a part movable when said circuit is opened; a local circuit having an alarm de vice therein; a normally-inoperative circuitcloser in said local circuit adapted to be moved by said movable part; a motor adapted to be connected with said circuit-closer and to move it in one direction, upon operation of said movable part, to close said circuit closer; and a spring to move said circuit-closer in the opposite direction for disengaging and opening the same.

SELDEN R. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

F. S. HOWARD, S. E. WILLIAMS. 

